AuthorTopic: The Witch House (Read 6388 times)

Whether the dreams brought on the fever or the fever brought on the dreams Walter Gilman did not know. - H.P. Lovecraft, The Dreams in the Witch House

Walter Gilman has just moved to Arkham and is starting his studies at the Miskatonic University. The Dombrowski's lodging house where he resides has a bad reputation, but Walter doesn't mind the old rumours.Until the dreams start. Can Walter hang on for two months and suffer through the dreaded May-Eve when witches roam the earth and the slaves of Satan gather for nameless rites and deeds?

Description:

The Witch House is a urban survival adventure game, where the player has to survive for two months and suffer through the dreaded May-Eve. The game combines RPG elements to classic adventure game genre. The player can choose to explore the old rumours, read the forbidden books at Miskatonic University, or concentrate on studies and keeping Walter in a good physical and mental state.

Based on the short story "Dreams in the Witch House" by H.P. Lovecraft.

Features:

- Advancing time: 1 minute in real life = 1 hour in game- Day/evening/night - cycles- Set in the early 1930's, game lasts from March 1st to May 1st- Studies: Walter can study for his exams and his aunt will reward him with money if the grades are good enough - Money: Walter can buy food, and other items at the general store. He gets a weekly allowance from his aunt- Haunted house: Walter starts to experience nightly terrors and has to defend himself from them- Several states for player character, including Health, Sanity, Hunger, Tiredness and Sickness- Random events, including weather, city events and dreams- Several endings depending on Walter's actions- 320 x 200 pixel graphics- Two click-interface

Screenshots:

Walter's room

The Witch House on a rainy evening

Hanging out at Joe Mazurewicz's place

Evening at the Arkham downtown

Progress:

The Witch House is my first game, and a passion project for me. I work on it part-time and unprofessionally, so the progress is slow. Currently I've been messing around with it a couple of years, learning the tricks of the AGS engine. At this moment the game is about 50 % ready, so it will take a year or two to finish it. Game mechanics start to be in place, but the actual story and puzzles are about 1/3 done. There is no deadline at the moment, I try to keep making the game as fun as possible!

this is an awesome idea for a game. The mechanics sound really fun and the graphics look great already, yeah, best of luck with the project and post lots of updates please That witch house looks great in that painting style but also almost too friendly. or maybe this is intentional to deceive the player

Thanks for the comments! I'll update the page now and then, there is quite a lot of things already done, but don't want to spoil the exciting stuff too much.

Selmiak, that's a interesting comment about the house looking too friendly. You are right that I don't want it to look too much like a "haunted house". Things will get grim, but at start it's just another old house. I think that Arkham is presented many times too ghastly, like it's almost a cemetary. But ofcourse the right balance is important, it can't be a fairytale house either.

I think that Arkham is presented many times too ghastly, like it's almost a cemetary. But ofcourse the right balance is important, it can't be a fairytale house either.

I think your balance of normality vs. disturbing is fine in relating to the Lovecraft genre.

His locations were rarely over-the-top gothic-horror edifaces in the way that Poe would have written them and he usually had his most terrifying characters living behind plain, if slightly affluent, doors.

I love this take on horror, which has carried over into Stephen King and Clive Barker, amongst others, in our modern time:

The feeling that the worst horror imaginable could be just behind the door of that house you pass by every day...

Walter is attending a lecture at Miskatonic University. At this moment there are four lectures and exams that you can attend (but you don't have to!). If you have studied enough, you'll get better grades. There is also a little query in exams that checks if you remember what you have read, so that affects the grades too.

Currently working with the university library, and building a system how to borrow borrow specific books for the right course. The occult books are kept under lock and key, and you need a special permission from the Chief Librarian Dr. Armitage to use those.

Hey rongel! I like this game premise a lot! Re read the Cthulu mythos in a pretty book recently last week and I really like your screenshots. Your art reminds me of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. You seem to be advancing fast, which is awesome! I really want to play your game!